Outside The Lines
by Jas-TheMaddTexan
Summary: Jayne's little sister comes looking for him and behind her follows an old enemy. Rating for fun cursing. Mostly in Chinese.
1. In which Maddie finds her brother

Maddie Cobb sat quiet at the Eavesdown Docks, dressed in her best outfit a plain white cotton skirt and a blue and green flower print blouse, back straight, hands folded tightly in her lap, facing straight ahead, nervous as all hell. She hadn't seen her brother in ages. Not since she was little anyways. Ma always got letters from him…and money. He'd always tried to hide how he made that money from them, but Ma had known better. "Just like his father" she'd always say. That of course probably wasn't a good thing because Ma Cobb had had a soft spot for outlawin' types, from her first husband who skipped out of town not long after their son was born to Maddie's pa, a no-good guitar picker who's name she never learned. 

It was funny for Maddie to even think of Ma gone. It made no kind of sense. Maddie'd been the one sick with the damp long for the last six months. Then the minute she gets better BOOM Ma comes down with pneumonia and is dead in two months. Viral pneumonia, the doctor had said. Maddie'd tried to get Ma help, but the money for the drugs just wasn't there. Everything they'd had had gone for Maddie's treatment.

She sighed and looked down at the single bag, which contained all her worldly possessions. There wasn't much, a few changes of clothes, Ma's scrapbook and Maddie's little box of treasures.

For a moment, Maddie closed her eyes, calling up hazy images of her older brother. There wasn't much there either, just vague memories of getting lost one time when he was supposed to be watching and giving him a whole mess of feathers one time while they were fishing, him catching four big reds, and him saying those feathers were his good luck. She smiled faintly remembering haw when she'd thought Jayne was just another word for big brother. A quiet tear dripped down he face. God, she prayed, please don't let him make me go back. I don't want to go back. Cassen will make me a whore like all those other girls in town. I can't do that. Please, Lord, protect me. Please St. Flora of Cordoba, St. Dymphna, St. Anthony of Padua, Please, protect me. St. Rose of Lima, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. Mary Magdalen…

Maddie's silent litany of saints was broken by a sudden and surprised shout, "Maddie, That YOU!"

Maddie opened her eyes and smiled faintly when she caught sight of her brother standing stock still in the crowd, like a stunned bull ox. He looked different than she remembered him, he had a beard thing, but she supposed that was to be expected. He was still her big bubba though.

"Hi, Jayne." She said in a quiet, shy voice.

He ran up, grabbed by the shoulders, looked her square in the eyes as he always had when she was little, and with confusion clear on his face (this had also been quite common when she was small) demanded, "What're you doin' here, girl?"

Immediately the tears began to well up in her eyes. "I. I didn' know where else t' go. Ma. Ma died an' an' Cassen was gonna…" She broke down into uncontrollable sobs and Jayne awkwardly attempted to calm her down.

"Ma's dead?" He said in a kind of lost voice.

Maddie nodded tearfully, "She caught the new-moan-ya an' all the money you sent last was done spent makin' me better." She swallowed hard, "Tried t' get the money. I even got me a job at the shrimp house, it. It was too late."

Jayne release her from his inexpert hug. "How'd you git here?" He asked holding her at arms length.

Maddie bit her lip. "Ma still owed a lotta cash t' Cassen and said he was gonna git it outta me one way or another." She took a deep breath and watched Jayne's face to make sure he understood her meaning. He did. Jayne remembered Cassen and his threats of prostitution well. "I sold everythin' we had, but I knew it weren't gonna be 'nough so I skipped town. You said in yer letters that y'all spent alotta time on Persephone so I paid a freighter t' take me out."

Jayne's eyes narrowed. "Looks like you knew I was gonna be here t'day." He said indicating her bag.

Maddie shrugged, "I asked around."

"You didn't tell 'em you was my sister, dija?" Jayne asked suspicious.

"Naw, Said you owed me money. Seems alotta folk are pretty keen on you bein' got out, big brother." Maddie said smiling.

Jayne laughed, "You sure have grown up, Maddie." She smiled up at him. "So, where you stayin' sis?"

Maddie's eyes shot down to her feet and she shuffled uncomfortably, "I was kinda hopin' I could stay with you?"

"Now, Maddie." Jayne said trying to sound stern and big brotherly, but mostly just getting the overly protective big brother part, "_Serenity_ ain't no kinda place for a little girl."

Maddie set her jaw hard, "I ain't a little girl, Jayne. Yer the lil' girl. I'm eighteen years old. 'Sides Cassen bound t' send somebody after me. I jus' know it. The way he hated Ma an' all."

Jayne frowned; Maddie could tell he did not like the way this conversation was going. "Ma said in her letters that everything was goin' fine 'sept you bein' sick an' all."

"Yeah, well, Ma didn' wan' you comin' back an' gettin' the law on you again." Maddie said, angrily. "There're folks back home still talk 'bout the time they almost strung you up."

Jayne's eyebrows furrowed deeper, "Gorramit, girl. Fine, come on, but you'd better keep up an' not git lost again." Maddie hastily grabbed up her bag and followed after her swiftly moving brother saying a silent prayer of thanks. Her problems where certainly far from over but at least she'd found Jayne.

* * *

Ok. SO I was writing this other Firefly fic (which you may still see) and wasn't really getting any where when I had this dream. It was strange and a little disturbing, but it inspired me to write this. It should get published pretty fast. I've first drafted most of the story already and am diligently typing it up and fixing it.

Please reveiw, I have two guns. Sure there those little plastic keychain guns, but... My dog knows where you sleep.


	2. In which no one believes Jayne

Maddie looked up at Serenity with veiled amazement. The freighter she'd traveled on before had been and cramped ugly-ass piece of go-se where she'd been forced to share a tiny room with a dirty old woman who snored. So where others with experience saw junk; Maddie saw possible salvation. Oh God, she prayed, let me be safe here. A small bit of uncertainty bubbled up and Maddie began to gnaw nervously on her thumbnail.

Jayne forced open the door and turned to look at Maddie. "You still bitin' yer nails like that?" He asked her critically.

"There ain't nothin' wrong with me bitin' my nails, Jayne Cobb." Maddie said defensively, but taking her finger out of her mouth.

"Yeah, well…" Jayne paused. "You ain't still pickin' yer nose and eatin' yer boogers are ya?" He asked as though it were some how a reflection on him.

" No, Jayne." Maddie said rolling her eyes and shaking her head in a particular exasperated fashion.

"Good 'cause I ain't gonna have embarassin' me." Jayne said. For a moment they stared at each other. Maddie trying to come up with a witty retort and Jayne thinking… whatever the hell it is Jayne thinks. Finally he said, "So you comin' or what?" then he turned and entered the ship. Biting back the retort she'd finally come up with, Maddie races up the ramp after her boots hitting the ground hard.

Inside the cargo hold, Maddie skidded to a halt about a step behind Jayne and gawked openly in wide-eyed wonderment. It was so big… and open.

"A little young for you, isn't she, Jayne?" A mocking voice called from above, startling Maddie. The speaker was a red-haired man in an orange jumpsuit and a Hawaiian shirt. Uh oh, Maddie thought, this ain't gonna be priddy.

"High-larious, Wash. Let's see how funny you think it is when I shoot yer knee caps out." Jayne growled reaching for his gun.

"Jayne." Maddie whispered softly, touching his arm gently. He slapped his weapon back in place frustrated.

"Touchie." The man identified as Wash said, slowly descending the stairs.

"Where's the Captain?" Jayne demanded. Anxiously Maddie rubbed her hands together.

"He's in the kitchen." Wash said. "Hey, weren't you going-"

Jayne cut him off obviously not wanting Maddie to know where he'd been headed when he ran into her. Not that it mattered, Maddie already knew, courtesy of her asking around that he'd been on his way to Mabee's Whore House. "There was a change in plans." Jayne turned to his sister, "Come on, Maddie, let's get you set up." Jayne pushed Wash roughly out of his way as he went up stairs and Maddie followed in his wake.

Wash paused and then Maddie him mutter behind her, "Hell, I'm not gonna miss this."

As she followed Jayne through the ship, she contemplated meeting the Captain. From his letters, Maddie figured Jayne feared the Captain in much the same way some people feared God. I-respect-him-because-he-seems-to-know-what-he's-doing-and-he-could-smite-me-so-I'd-better-be-on-his-side kind of way, at least most of the time.

The kitchen, Maddie found, was a homey comfortable kind of room with little flowers stenciled everywhere. Relaxing at the table was a brown-haired man, Maddie thought must be the Captain. "Jayne," he asked in a stern chastising voice sipping his coffee, "What have I told you about bringing whores on my ship? She's a little young for you anyway."

"She ain't no whore, Mal." Jayne growled. He was, Maddie could tell, tired of everybody thinking that. So was she. "This here's my lil' sister, Maddie."

The man, Mal, nearly choked on his coffee and behind Maddie, she heard the smothered laughter of at least two people. Anxiously she clutched her bag to her chest. Oh God, he doesn't believe him. Oh God, Oh God.

"Your sister," Mal said skeptically. "And what would your sister be doin' here on Persephone. I thought you were from Weslaco."

"Our Ma died and she come lookin' fer me here." Jayne said obstinately. "Gorrammit Mal, she ain't got no where's else t' go." Maddie stared at Mal. For an instant, her eyes locked with his. She hated this. She hated not being in control of her own life, not being able to do for herself, more than anything in the 'verse. Getting Jayne's help was one thing, Hell, he was her brother and she almost talked herself out of it. But being at the mercy of someone she didn't know, even if he was Jayne's boss… no, especially because he was Jayne's boss, rankled her. She didn't want to be a burden for anyone. It was like being sick all over again. If it hadn't been for Cassen and his lot, Maddie wouldn't have come at all.

Finally Mal said, "Alright, you can put her up in the passenger dorm, but I wanna talk t' you after an' she's gettin' off as soon as you set her up with some kinda work." Jayne led Maddie out of the kitchen, back the way they came in, pass Wash and a strong tough looking black woman, who kinda smiled at Maddie.

"What did he mean 'bout me not stayin'?" Maddie asked when they were out of listening range of the others.

Jayne slapped her roughly on the back, "You ain't gotta worry 'bout that. Captain's said that dozens a times 'bout them fuggies we're hidin' an' he ain't dumped 'em yet."

"Fuggies?"

"Yeah, this priddy boy doc from th' core and his crazy ass sister." A thought occurred to Jayne. "You still got that knife I gave 'fore I left?"

Maddie nodded, "'s in my boot, jus' like you tol' me t' keep it."

"Good, keep it handy." Jayne said patting her back again, "Crazy boots went at me few months back. So be careful."

"Oh my fluffy goodness, I think the 'verse is comin' to an end. You jus' tol' me t' be careful? After all me an' Ma been tellin' you all these years."

"Don' git use to it." Jayne said somewhat perturbed. "Look here's yer room. You git settled an' all. I'll gotta go back up an' talk to Mal."

"Yeah, right." Maddie said vaguely, looking in rapture at her room. Her own room, didn't have to share it or anything. She'd never had her own room before. Back home, the house only really had one room, not counting the store. Her own room with her own bed! Maddie sat down luxuriated in the sheer joy of privacy.

* * *

Thank y'all fer your beautiful reveiws. They make me all happy and fluffy inside, like puppies. Please present more reveiws to the altar of the Lord, so I can thank Him, too. Else there will be pencils in eyeballs and vitreous humor. 

p.s. My beloved lil' sis say hi. I don't know why, though. I think see wants me to thank her or something. shrug

p.p.s. The name I used for Jayne's home world, Weslaco,is a town in the Valley. (Fer y'all sad people who ain'tTexans, that's the Rio Grande River valley, the southest part a Texas) There will be more appearences of other such towns as people's names and other planets I make up as needed.


	3. In which Some Much happens it don't fit

Up stairs, Mal was giving Jayne the third degree. "What's your play bringing that girl on here?"

"I couldn' jus' leave her standin' in the street." Jayne said.

"Really. Seems t' me you left a lotta girls standin' in the street." Mal leaned across the table, "Is she pregnant?"

Without thinking, Jayne said, "She'd better not be." Then he did and exclaimed in a disgusted tone. "Gorrammit, Mal, She's my sister."

"No one here believes that _gou shi, _Jayne" Mal said.

"Who is she really?" Zoë asked walking around behind Jayne in a menacing manner, at least as much as Jayne can be menaced.

"She's. My. Sister." Jayne growled.

Mal stared Jayne down. "See, you keep saying that. So why don't we believe you?" Jayne began cursing at Mal in Chinese.

About at that time Simon walked with Kaylee. He was just going to ask Wash, who had been watching Jayne's interrogation with a look of mild amusement, something that probably wasn't all that important, when he heard Jayne say "But she is my sister." Simon looked on in surprise, "Jayne has a sister? That can't be pretty?"

"Actually she's not that bad looking. A little on the skinny side…" Wash stopped his description as the argument took a particularly violent turn with Jayne slamming his knife into the table.

"Fine, You don' believe me. Go ask Maddie!"

"How do we know she won't lie too?" Mal demanded.

"Maddie ain't no liar!" Jayne shouted half getting out of his chair.

"All we're saying is we want a little proof before we accept that she's really your sister." Zoë said sounding all too reasonable.

Mal looked at Simon, "Doc, your sister's a reader. How 'bout askin' River t' take a peek in that girl's mind?"

Simon cleared his throat. "River was experiencing some unpleasant side effects to a new medication I was trying and I was um… forced to administer a mild sedative."

Mal blinked at him, "In English."

"She's um… asleep."

"Well that's just shiny." Mal said sarcastically.

"Captain?" Came the deep calming voice of Shepherd Book from the shadows where no one had noticed him standing. "Perhaps I might speak to the girl? I have found people are more likely to speak truth to a man of God."

* * *

Meanwhile down in her room completely oblivious to the intense 'discussion' about her legitimacy going on up stairs, Maddie began unpacking. First out came her clothes, carefully laid in the little drawer provided her. Next came Ma's scrapbook. Fondly, she caressed its worn, patched and repatched cover. With a slight sigh she flipped through the brittle pages. Only for a minute, though. Then she set it on the nightstand. A slow loving smile stretched across her tan features as she drew the last item from her pack. It was a box, a box old beyond imagining, a large hardy creation of nearly indestructible ceramic stained dark brown and painted with intricate green vines, a box filled with her most cherished possessions. It also bore a heavy lock to which only Maddie had the key. Slowly she opened it savoring the excitement, remembering the very first time she had. Inside was all she treasured of the material world, odd colored rock and feathers, smooth sea-worn pieces of colored glass, simple letters painstakingly written by Jayne twelve years worth and her only connections to the father who's name she never knew. The box and its original contents appeared on Ma Cobb's doorstep when Maddie was almost one year old with a note that said, "Give this to my daughter when she is old enough." Ma never figured how Maddie's Pa even knew about her, but now opening it on _Serenity_ flashed her back to her the day Ma gave it to her unopened, her thirteenth birthday. Maddie recalled that birthday vividly, the excitement, the fear. Inside had been a few smooth white rocks, a turkey feather, an old worn white leather bible, an odd technological bit of smoothing read: futuristic iPod full of songs of a half forgotten world and a recording of a man speaking, Maddie believe this recording was her father's message to her.

For an instant Maddie thought of listening to that recording again, but instead carefully Maddie took out the old white bible and read for the millionth time its message of love and pride written to a little girl on Earth-That-Was for the occasion of her first holy communion. The bible was dated May 5, 1996 and Maddie'd read it cover to cover, Every word from the introduction to bible study at the beginning to the list of Sunday readings for Cycles A, B, and C at the end.

Lovingly, Maddie stroked its tissue thin pages, the unknown preservative that covered then nearly imperceptible. It was through this bible she'd discovered the faith. Tucked in its pages, prayer cards, pamphlets, and all manner of instructional papers, had guided through the tenets of the Catholic Church. And, when she was sick like to dieing of the Damplong, Maddie convinced Ma to find her a priest and got herself baptized. She turned a well-worn page and began to read.

She was a fair ways into the Book of Job, when there was a knock at the door. It slid open a crack. Maddie did not look up "May I come in?" A calm low voice asked politely.

She glanced up and saw the face of an older black man in the outfit of a Shepherd. She shrugged, "I guess."

The man came in shutting the door behind him. He sat on the bed beside he. "I'm Shepherd Book." He said.

"Maddie" she said without looking up.

Again attempting to start up a conversation, the Shepherd spoke. "Reading the Good Book, I see."

Maddie nodded, "Job"

"Ah, Job. 'I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.'" He said. Maddie blinked at him. _A Bible Quote-er, Oh Dear_.

"It's got a good view on the nature a sufferin'." Maddie said testing the waters as it were.

"Have you suffered, child?"

Maddie shrugged, "More th'n some, less th'n others."

Book nodded and Maddie looked up to watch his features as he spoke, "Things are hard all over."

"So they say." Maddie said guardedly. Like so many things about his life out in the black, Jayne had spoken little of this Shepherd, but it seemed to Maddie she could trust at least enough to sate her curiosity, just a little. So she just came out and asked him, "You know my brother?"

"He and I have spoken on many things." The Shepherd said somewhat evasively.

"Did he?" Maddie swallowed hard. "Did he ever talk 'bout me?"

"Jayne mention you a time or two, yes, but only in passing. He prefers… other subjects." Book said delicately.

Maddie snorted ruefully, "You mean booze an' broads?"

"Among other things." Book smiled benevolently. "You seem to know Jayne well."

Maddie shrugged again, "Not really he left when I was real little. Got int' a fight with some rich kids, I think and folks in town where all out t' hang 'im so he skipped town." Maddie kind of sniffed remembering. She seemed to be doing an awful lot of that these days. "You know, it's funny. I remember the night he left. Lyin' in my lil' pile a blankets, didn't have a bed back home see, 'tendin' like I was 'sleep cause I didn' wanna have t' say good bye. I know he thought I was sleepin' so he prob'ly don't know I know he done this… but he kissed my forehead an' ruffled my hair." She sniffed loudly. _Damn cryin'_ "as soon as he walked out that door, I cried an' I cried, cuz I knew he wasn' comin' back." Book started to pull a hanky out of his pocket, but Maddie already dried her eyes on her skirt. When she had the crying under control she looked at the Shepherd steadily, "I know none y'all up there think I'm really Jayne's sister."

"Well, the Captain may be a bit overly suspicious." Shepherd Book said, tactfully, "Jayne is not exactly the most trustworthy of people around women."

"I got proof, ya know." Maddie said reaching for Ma's scrapbook. Carefully she opened it to show Book the pictures and mementoes there enclosed. The first thing that fell out was Jayne's wanted poster from back home. As Book looked at it, she said offhandedly, "I don' really know why Ma kept that." Maddie continued filling through the many pages of memorabilia that had comprised her mother's life until she found the one she was looking for.

Tenderly, she pulled a cheap photo from its place. "This is me an' Jayne oh… 'bout two weeks 'fore he left. It was my birthdee." Maddie held it out for the old preacher to see.

Book tapped the picture, "Might I take this upstairs to show the others?"

Maddie shrugged. "Sure, jus' bring it back an' don' git it dirty or nothin'."

Shepherd Book took the photo, "I assure you it will be safe in my hands." Then he rose and made his exit. Maddie watched him go. When he was out of sight, Maddie took her switchblade, her very first knife, out of hiding in the bottom of her box and hid it under the mattress of her bed. Just in case.

* * *

Upstairs, Everybody crowed around to look at the old photo. It was indeed of a younger Jayne sans goatee and at tan little girl with red-brown hair in a tattered dress and wearing no shoes. Both of them were wearing idiotic party hats and while Jayne looked slightly uncomfortable, he did not seemed completely unhappy by the circumstances he was in, more displeased that a picture was being taken. The little girl on the other hand seemed to be having the time of her life, standing by that tree stump holding her brother's hands.

Kaylee was the first to speak, "Aw, that's shiny. I didn't know you had a little sister, Jayne." Everybody else broke into helpless laughter. Jayne shifted in his seat uncomfortably, but said nothing.

"No, no it's cute." Zoë said smiling

To which Wash added "Kind of like a baby and a pit bull."

"Ya know I kin still shot out yer knee caps." Jayne threatened.

Mal got control of his laughter. "I do believe this is the kinda proof we needed. I guess your sister kin stay… for now."

"Well good." Jayne said frowning. "I gonna go tell 'er." He added throwing death glares around the room. He snatched the photo out of Mal's hand and stormed out of the room muttering, "Don't get t' go whorin' cause I run int' my sister and then I git laughed at cause her." And their laughed followed him.

* * *

_Somewhere in Space…_

"Sir, we have a flag on the girl." A non-Alliance lackey type person said.

A tall blond haired man with a scarred face and a nose that had obviously been severely broken once stepped behind his lackey. "Where?" He asked in a surprising musical voice.

"She boarded a freighter from Weslaco and…" The lackey tapped at his keyboard anxiously. "She got off at Persephone. There's a price on her head, sir. A fairly steep one."

"I'm not interested in the girl, McGraw, or the bounty Cassen is offering." The scarred man said, severely. "Only where she can lead me. Set a course for Persephone." He ordered. The he turned and stared out into the big black empty of space. "It's time, Jayne Cobb, time for you to pay."

* * *

Translation:

gou shi- dog shit

* * *

Ok so this one was kinda longer than the others. I'm comin' up to where I've typed to so I might no post any more this week as I haven't really... well I'm graduating this week. Hope y'all like it. Puppies and butterflies. I have feet. 


	4. In Which Maddie is officially introduced

Jayne brought Maddie back up to the kitchen and clippedly introduced her to the amassed crew. She smiled shyly and said a quiet "hi." For a moment stared at Maddie as though they expected her to say something else. She didn't. Eventually they universally decided they had other things to be doing, leaving Jayne to give Maddie a tour of the ship. It wasn't much of a tour. Maddie'd already seen the cargo hold and the passenger dorm. Basically Jayne just sort of pointed in various directions, said, "Engine room, Hall, Kitchen, my room, guns, bridge" and Maddie nodded like she knew what the hell he was talking about.

When that was over, Mal stuck his head in and informed Jayne they had business to conduct and that he'd better arm up. Jayne went to his room picked out a big gun and then left Maddie standing alone. Great now what was she supposed to do? Distractedly she began humming an old, old song. "I guess I could go back to my room," she said aloud. Now half singing, Maddie wandered out.

Half way there, she heard yelling, a female screaming at the top of her lungs in fact. A male voice whispered something indistinctly and as Maddie rounded the corner something crashed on the floor. Maddie flinched at the sound of it. In the little passenger dorm common area, Maddie saw Simon attempting to comfort and catch a small boned lithe dark haired girl. What was her name? Maddie couldn't remember. It seemed someone had mentioned it in Maddie's presence. She was Simon's sister, right? The one Jayne had called, Crazy Boots. Mentally Maddie shrugged, Jayne was no great shakes at the whole compassionate brother thing anyway. He was more the you-touch-my-sister-and-I'll-beat-you-senseless-and-then-leave-you-to-her-none-too-gentle-knife-weilding-mestrations-because-she's-EVIL-and-I-taught-her-all-she-knows type.

The Screaming girl peeked up from her non-effective hiding place at Maddie and ceased her screeching. "You color outside the lines." She stated accusingly.

"River!" Simon exclaimed.

_River, that's her name_. Maddie thought at the same time also giving serious thought to what Jayne had said about keeping that knife close. River broke around Simon who was still furtively attempting to catch her and ran to Maddie coming right up in her face. "I know where you sleep."

Maddie didn't blink. "Shiny. Come over some time an' we'll have a sleepover." She said smiling.

River reflected that smile and skipped off. Simon and Maddie stared after her. "I'm sorry about my sister. Her medication…"

"Cain't help what ya cain't help. 's like my Ma always use t' say, 'Shit happens.'"

Simon eyed her a moment. "You're really Jayne's sister?"

Maddie sighed the exasperated sigh of the constantly beleaguered. "I don't git it. Why don' none y'all believe us?"

"It's just hard to picture Jayne, the man ape gone wrong having a sister." Simon admitted.

"'s hard t' pitchur a core doc an' his sis being fuggies an' runnin' 'round these parts, too." Maddie pointed out astutely. Then she flashed a smile, "Hehe. Man-ape gone wrong, I gotta remember that." She flopped down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling humming. After awhile she said, "Well, this is awkward." And Simon had to agree with her.

* * *

Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?" Zoë asked as they pushed their way through the crowded streets. 

"It's an easy job, get our coin, drop off the cargo and git gone. Nothing to it." Mal said confidently.

"Sir, perhaps you ain't rememberin' the last two times we was on that rock." Zoë said as though talking to a child. "We got robbed, remember? Twice."

"I'm sure they've got that under control by now, Zoë"

Mal, Zoë, and Jayne returned a couple hours later with fresh supplies and a job. Delivering black-market crop supplements wasn't exactly lucrative or exiting, but hell work was work. So dinner that night had a somewhat celebratory air about it.

* * *

Of course anyone who still had doubts about Maddie being Jayne's sister had them quashed. She ate in almost exactly the same way as Jayne, as much food in the mouth as fast as was feasible without losing any and with as little chewing as necessary. The only difference in fact was that didn't talk with her mouth full. Not because it was polite, but because talking with food in ones mouth invited the possibility of it falling food. Where she came from, one never invited the possibility of wasting food. 

Maddie felt out of place there, at the table, though. She didn't belong with these people. When she said a quiet prayer of thanks over he food, she saw the glance Mal gave her, some where between questioning and resentful, disdainful. Kaylee tried to engage her in conversation, but Maddie wasn't really interested in talking about home or her trip out. Saying she was tired she left the table early and went back to her room.

She pulled on clean sleeping clothes and lay on her back watching the ceiling. This was been a bad. She shouldn't have come here. She just wanted to go home. Lying there she felt very, very alone. Jayne was her brother sure, but he'd changed; she'd changed. Maddie hardly knew him anymore. She loved him, but she didn't know his life and he didn't know hers. Why couldn't she have just died of the Damplong? It would have been so much easier that way. A lonely tear dripped down her face and she prayed, Lord hold me, Lord keep me. I don't know what to do. I need help.

The door slid open and Maddie sat up. River hung in the doorway with a mournful smile on her face. "Sleepover?"

Maddie shrugged and River slipped in, shutting the door behind her. As River sat on the bed by her, Maddie said conversationally, "So, My brother says yer nuts."

"I'm not fully functional."

Maddie snorted, "Personally, I don' think none've us is. Functionin' ain't all it's cracked up t' be, anyway. I function, barely that these days, really." River blinked and Maddie sighed. "You like music?" She asked pulling the mini-music machine from her box.

"An older model Fallorine Musicord."

"So that's what this thing's called. Huh." Maddie said punching up a song. The two of them disappeared into the world of Mid-Twentieth Century/Early Twenty-first Century Country Music. "Outside the lines, outside the lines. Ain't nobody cryin' colorin' outside the lines. Outside the lines"

* * *

Ok so I know this is a little shorter than y'all like (alright a lot shorter), I'm sorry. I'm suffering a little writer's block on the next bit I have coming up. I can't get it to sound right, so it may be a little while before the next chapter comes up.

In slightly less important annuncments, the song that Maddie and River listen to at the end here is the same song the fic is named after. "Outside the Lines" by Cory Morrow. Good song. Listen to it.

Please R&R. I love you all and THANK GOD I"VE FINALY GRADUATED!


	5. In Which Jayne Gives Maddie Pointers

Evening came and morning followed, the first day. Maddie felt once again very out of place and more than a little confused about what to do with herself. Everybody was running around doing something, except for Shepherd Book who was meditating in his room. Mal, Zoë, Wash, Kaylee, and Jayne were all getting ready for take off and Simon was doing something with River in the infirmary.

Maddie couldn't really decide what to do, but eventually she wandered down to the cargo hold to watch Jayne put away the cargo. She stationed herself up on the catwalk, feet dangling over the edge. She wished there was something to do. Anything.

Jayne dropped some equipment and it clattered loudly on the floor causing Maddie to flinch. _Loud noises, Gorram them_.

Maddie heard something behind her, the clicking of someone walking. She looked up and saw a stunningly beautiful woman. Maddie swallowed as the woman began walking in her direction.

"Hello there." The woman said in a gentle friendly voice. "You look new."

Maddie nodded, "My name's Maddie."

"That's a pretty name." The woman said kindly. "I'm Inara." Maddie nodded and gazed back down at Jayne glumly, humming. Inara paused and then walked away and meeting Shepherd Book about ten feet from Maddie.

"Where is it we're going again?" Inara asked him.

"Pharr, I believe." The Shepherd answered.

_Ah, Pharr_. Half the rich _Hwoon Dahns_ Maddie'd guided for had come from Pharr. Maddie heard Inara say something about respectable clients and there being none on Pharr. Respectable, that was funny. Pharr was the home of the sons of rich border world barons. No rules, no alliance, nothing. The border world playground of the rich and soulless that was Pharr.

* * *

The tall blond scar faced man strode down the streets of Persephone's Eavesdown Docks a set look in his eyes. Periodically he stopped and asked haughtily if anyone had seen the girl in the picture. "Yes," The knowing ones said, "she was here askin' after Jayne Cobb. Said he owed 'er money, but she's gone now.' Invariably they laughed, like they knew better about something they had no way of knowing.

"Where is this Jayne Cobb?" the haughty man would then ask.

"Works fer Malcolm Reynolds." The knowing ones would say, "Captain's a Firefly, he does, _Serenity_." And invariably the haughty scar-faced man would smile hideously and pay those knowing ones well. _Serenity_, good, better than he could have ever hoped for.

* * *

Maddie did her best to get along with everyone. She was polite and respectful and she tried to be friendly, but it was hard. People weren't what she was good at. Shepherd Book and Inara were very kind to lending her things she needed and offering a willing ear to listen if Maddie ever wanted to talk as did Simon though Simon was very uncomfortable with Maddie being Jayne's sister. Wash and Zoë were friendly though Wash teased her relentless about being Jayne's sister causing Maddie much internal grief. She didn't like being teased. It dredged up unpleasant memories. Kaylee was really, really friendly, continually trying to draw her into various animated conversations which Maddie politely declined often retreating to a sketch pad Shepherd Book lent her to look busy so Kaylee wouldn't try. And, Mal, well Maddie avoided Mal religiously.

When River wasn't being completely insane, Maddie hung out with River. They got along pretty well. The nonsensical stuff River said fit in pretty well with Maddie's random musings. She just felt more comfortable with River. They didn't have to talk about trivial stuff. Maddie could draw in peace and sometimes River had helpful advice.

Meanwhile, Maddie's continued silence was beginning to worry Jayne. Not you know a whole lot, but enough so that when Mal said needed to have a talk with the girl he actually did it. Mind you this Mal told him to tell her she didn't need to be "afraid" of him on the second night she was on ship and he waited two days. Still Jayne went down to her room late that night. There he found her scratching away frantically on that pad of paper she'd picked up. "Whatcha doin' Flower-eater?" He asked using his old nickname for her.

"Drawin'" She said flipping her pencil over and erasing with all haste.

Jayne snatched the pencil out of her hand. "Captain wanted me to talk to you."

" 'Bout what?" she asked glaring at her pencil.

Jayne twirled her pencil thoughtfully. "Your bein' all quiet's worrin' him." He lied through his teeth.

"Ain't nothin' wrong with bein' quiet. Gimme my pencil back."

"Makes him think yer bein' all… I don' know," Jayne looked for a word inside his mind. He really should have thought this lie through. He couldn't think of a real good one he picked one ate random. "Weak."

Maddie snorted. "Weak? Well that's a crock. You know well as I Ma ne'er raised no weak children. Weak chil'ins get et one Weslaco, you know that. 'sides I wouldn' a knifed that guy."

"You killed someone?"

She laughed, "Well not really. Rich guy I was guidin' was threatenin' me and I did like you taught me." Her face screwed up remembering. " 'mazin' how much a guy bleeds when you stick 'im." With Jayne slightly distracted by her description of stabbing a man she stole her pencil back.

"You any good with that knife?" Jayne asked unfazed.

Maddie shrugged. "I hit what I aims at most times throwin'. Killed a squirrel once."

"How 'bout guns?"

Maddie laughed ruefully, "I couldn' hit a bullet with the broadside of a barn."

"That bad, huh."

Maddie smiled at him and said, "Well it weren't like you was around t' give me weapons trainin' Learned what I had to myself and trackin' fer rich folks don't 'zactly require me knowin' how t' shoot. They do that."

"Well you're here now. I cou' give you a couple pointers." Jayne said.

* * *

Down in the cargo bay, Jayne set up a series of targets for Maddie. After demonstrating she was perfectly capable of hitting her target with expectable accuracy, Jayne handed her a pistol.

Maddie gripped the handle anxiously, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Jayne?" She asked for the seventy-fifth time.

"Course it is." Jayne said confidently. "Only time no body's down here."

"Yeah, but won't we wake everybody up?"

"Don't worry." Jayne reassured. "Come on I want t' see what yer doin' wrong."

"Fine." She leveled the weapon and pulled the trigger. The bullet missed completely and buried itself in a crate.

"Well," Jayne said calmly. "For one thing yer stance is all wrong. Ya shook all over the place."

"It's loud." Maddie said in a quiet voice.

"Sure is." Jayne said dismissively and began instructing her on the proper way to stand and hold the gun. "Ok now try again." Maddie swallowed hard, set up her stance like Jayne had told her and fired again.

This one imbedded itself in the very far left edge of the target. A marked improvement in Maddie's opinion, but Jayne didn't see it that way, "It's great if you just want t' wing the guy, Maddie, but we're aimin' fer killed shots here."

"I'm trying!"

Jayne grunted and gestured for her to try again. "An' remember what I tol' ya 'bout yer stance." Sighing Maddie set up her stance, leveled her gun, screwed up her face in concentration and…

"What the HELL is going on down here!" Mal shouted.

BANG! A startled Maddie jerked in surprise and the gun went off. The bullet ricocheted wildly around the room and Maddie instinctively hit the deck along side her brother. The bullet finally imbedded itself in the door paneling not two inches from Mal's head.

"Jayne, mẹ mài, I tol' you t' talk t' the girl, not have midnight target practice with me HEAD!" Mal shouted. He stormed up and jerked the gun out of Maddie's hand. "No more playing gun range in the cargo bay, dong ma?"

Maddie glanced at her brother. "I told you this was a bad idea." And thus ended the short run of intrepid gunwoman Maddie Cobb allowing her to revert to her natural state of crazed knife wielder.

* * *

The next day, Maddie returned to her drawing in the common area. Everyone else was busy going about whatever business they had and so she was enjoying the quiet. River wandered in. Maddie looked up from her paper and watched. "I can hear the words." River whispered to the wall. Then she spun, "You can see me."

"I can see a lot of things." Maddie stated simply. She liked River. Being with her made her oddly at ease. Like having a friend. Maddie'd never had many friends. Not many wanted to be friends with sister of Jayne Cobb. The few friends she did have had left Weslaco long ago looking for better lives on more developed worlds with less Cassen.

"There are words." River said plopping down beside her on the couch. River leaned over and peered at Maddie's drawing. "You need more shading around the eyes."

Maddie frowned. "Prob'ly but I ain't no good at shadin'. Ya might's well ask me t' color the dang thing." She said somewhat defensively. "Sides I only jus' got around t' puttin' in the faces."

"McGraw, where are they going?" the blond scar-faced man asked.

"Looks like Pharr, sir." McGraw said.

The man smiled hideously. "Ah, Pharr, my old stomping grounds." He pondered a moment, "Contact Kucera, tell him I want the loan of a team and his outpost." McGraw nodded grimly and began sending the wave. He knew what was in store for Jayne Cobb now.

* * *

Curse words not in English

Hwoon Don-Bastard

mẹ mài- your mother (doesn't translate exactly into English, more like Curse your mother for ever having birthed you)

Dong ma- understand

* * *

Finally, took me awhile but I figured it out. Boy howdy it took some doin' wrote like twelve differnt things before I took two adapeted them together.

ps. Guess what's wrong with this story. If you can I promise not to pantomine seppuku... for this at least.

Hugs and kisses and PSP now stands for People Shooting Puppies.


	6. In Which Things Get Bad Crazy

Pharr was not a pretty planet. Maddie hadn't really expected it to be. The main settlement was nestled in an ugly little brown valley and the sharp contrasts between excessive riches and absolute squalor were visible everywhere. It reminded Maddie of home a little bit except home was nice to look at… and green

Mal wanted all non-essential personnel to remain on ship, which was perfectly fine with her. She was not at all overly anxious to be shot at. But watching Mal, Zoë and Jayne go; she worried a little bit about Jayne coming back. The Shepherd reassured her that everything would be fine, but River kept making these cryptic remarks about "The One who follows" and how he "has waited long for this day." That did not make Maddie feel good, about the whole crime thing. She'd heard stories after all.

* * *

Mal and Zoë stood at the drop site impatiently. The client was late. It was never a good sign when the client was late picking up his own merchandise. "Gorram farmers." Jayne's voice crackled over the radio. He was stationed on a near by hill top with a sniper rifle to provide cover fire should the deal go south, but at the moment it didn't look like it would even get that far. 

Jayne panned his rifle around, using the scope to sight for the client. Nothing, not a single soul other than himself, Mal and Zoë, but wait… no it was just a cow. He panned the other direction. Nothing—No! There was something. A man moving covertly through the brush, a well armed man. "We got company!" Jayne shouted cracking off a shot and taking the man out. More men came out of the brush this time firing. Jayne reached for his nearby Sharps 57, but that first shot Jayne got off would be his only one for as soon as the ruckus broke out in the valley, a boot came down on the back of his head, sending him into darkness.

Twisted laughter filled the air, "Gotcha, Cobb." The Blond man said, "After all these years, finally I gotcha." He spun on the two rented henchmen accompanying him. "Well what the hell are you _He chusheng zajiao de zanghuo _standing around for, pack him up."

* * *

Mal and Zoë ran to the mule under a hail of gunfire. Miraculously neither was injured in their mad scramble back to the ship. It wasn't until they'd actually reached the ship that they realized one of two things that were missing, the men who had been chasing them had disappeared. Something else was missing but with all the stress of being shot at, Mal could not put his finger on it.

Back on board, the anxious crew gathered in the cargo bay waiting for their friends and loved ones and worrying if they'd ever see them again. At least Maddie was. Stupid River had set Maddie to thinking that something bad was going to happen and she couldn't get he idea out of her head.

Mal and Zoë flew up the ramp cargo still on the mule. As the doors closed they leapt off the mule. Wash ran to his wife, "Are you all right, baby?" Zoë assured him that she was but he insisted on checking her anyway.

Maddie glanced around. "Where's Jayne?" She asked Mal her voice shaking.

Mal looked around in a kind of shock, "He's not here?" Why hadn't he noticed that before?

"Where's my brother?" her voice squeaked this time.

Mal looked to Zoë. She shook heard head. She didn't know where Jayne was either. Mal turned back to Maddie. "He must've got hit."

Maddie blanched visibly, "Well, you gotta go back fer 'im." Mal didn't say anything and something snapped inside her. He wasn't going back for Jayne. Her jaw set firmly her dander rose. "Where is my gorram brother, you _Yanse lang_?" Maddie demanded again, vicious murder flashing unexpectedly in her eyes. With practiced ease, Maddie drew forth the large bowie knife that had been a parting gift from Jayne from her boot. Before anyone could react, Maddie lunged at Mal who dodged causing her to miss her mark by scant inches, and hitting his arm.

Zoë tackled the still cursing Maddie to the ground, and she broke into sobs. While Simon checked Mal's knife wound, Zoë dragged her off to her room and locked her up tight.

* * *

As Simon stitched up Mal's arm, Zoë entered to check on him. "How's the girl?" Mal asked. 

"Do you really have to ask, sir?" Zoë said as a fresh barrage of profanity and hysterical sobs emanated from the general direction of her room.

"I suppose not." Mal scratched his head with his good arm. "I didn't expect her to go off like that. No, offence, doc, but that's more your sister's act."

Simon nodded, "It certainly does appear the poor girl has made a rather severe break from reality. Though why she would over Jayne…"

* * *

Jayne came to consciousness slowly. Where was he? What happened? Why did his head hurt? And why the rutting hell was he stuffed in a rutting box? More importantly how was he going to get out? He tried to move, but found that not only was he stuffed in a box that must be two sizes too small, but also his arms and legs were tied. Gorram hell, his legs were going numb. 

He heard someone approaching and instinctively froze. There was shifting and shouts. Then the box was flooded with light. It took him a moment for his eyes to acclimatize to the brightness, but then he saw a face sneering down at him, a face he'd never thought he'd see again. "Hello Cobb, long time no shoot." The sneerer laughed like his bad pun was actually funny.

Jayne sneered back, hiding his surprise. "Couldn't take me own yer own, Brady?" he growled. "Why don't you let me outta this box and we'll make this a fair fight?"

"I believe we tried that, Cobb." Brady said his twisted face going into spasms. "And as I recall, that ended with you leaving me for dead in the dessert with my face half cut off." The now named Brady regained control over his face and sneered again, "No, I don't think there will be anything fair about this. Not fair at all." And yet again his boot descended down on Jayne.

* * *

"You don't think Niska got him, do you?" Wash asked as they sat around the dinner table discussing what they should do. 

Zoë shook her head, "No, had it been Niska it wouldn't have just been Jayne."

"Jayne was a professional mercenary, surely he must have made other enemies." Simon said from across the table.

Mal rubbed his arm thoughtfully. It was hard to imagine that Jayne was dead. "Zoë? Do you remember the last time we came here?"

"You mean the time we were held at gun point by a bunch of rich kids who walked of with our cargo, sir?"

Mal frowned, reminded more keenly of that unpleasant incident. "Yes, that time." He returned to his point. "Remember how Jayne carried Vera around in his pants the whole time we were in town?"

"That's right." Wash had having something similar to an epiphany. "He mentioned that he used to have an enemy from here. He thought that guys friends might be mad because he killed the guy, didn't he?"

Mal nodded, "exactly."

"But I thought those rich kids had said they didn't give a good gorram that Jayne had killed that Jayne had killed that guy and his brother." Wash added skeptically.

"Perhaps they changed their minds." Shepherd Book said cryptically. He folded his hands over the table. "Are you certain he is dead, Captain?"

Mal shook his head. "It's the only thing that makes sense. He's taken six men by himself, but there was no way he could've gotten passed forty."

* * *

Locked in her room Maddie had fallen silent. This was generally a bad sign, because it met she had decided on a course of action. Thoughtfully she gnawed on a fingernail. THEY weren't going after Jayne. THEY didn't know who took him. She was just going to go after him herself. It shouldn't be that hard to track him from the place he was taken. She knew wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. She just had to get out of this room and find him. 

She pulled up her mattress and smiled down at the switchblade. "Hello beautiful." She said stroking it fondly, like an old pet. "We're going t' have work t' do." She whispered. Maddie began humming a little song, _Soon, soon.

* * *

_

Fun Translations

he chusheng zajiao de zanghuo -Filthy fornicators of livestock!"

Yanse lang-Male whore (lit. colored wolf)

* * *

Well this one's kinda short I know, but well that's the way things go, huh? I'm a little sad no one picked out the little bit of fun in the last chapter. See when Mal said "mẹ mài" that wasn't Chinese. It's Vietnamese. When I was writting it I didn't have access to the internet so I asked my best friend for curse words in her native tongue. Please R&R. When I don't get reveiws, I cry. (Sniffs) Do you want me to cry? 

Ps. Ok First time I uploaded this I some how missed an important part of what I wrote. Don't know how I managed that but oh well.


	7. In Which Escapes Take Place

A/N Ok, everybody, go back and reread Chapter Six. Some how, I forgotto put in some imortant parts (I know how. 's got me completely baffled). This chapter won't make sense unless you do.

* * *

In a small nondescript room, Jayne sat bound to a chair gritting his teeth. If those guards of Brady's would turn their backs for just one second, he could get out and on his way. He'd been tied to this chair for a full hour and all Brady had done so far was sermon-ize him and put out a cigarette on his back before leaving. _Next time I kill this bastard, I better make sure he's dead before I leave_, Jayne thought.

Brady returned from where it was he'd gone with a tray of assorted torture devices. Fun. The look upon Brady's face was not a pleasant one. Of course, Brady's hadn't been very nice to look at to begin with and Jayne's cutting it up hadn't helped very much.

"Well, Cobb, I got big plans for you?" Brady leered. "I'm gonna take you out into the desert and then give a taste of what my brother felt when you killed him."

"Cao ni ma!" Jayne growled viciously.

"Language, Cobb." Brady said, sticking a randomly chosen torture device to Jayne's arms. Pain shot through Jayne's body. Well this is fun, Jayne thought gritting his teeth.

Brady frowned, and removing the torture device briefly. "You're not screaming Cobb, I want you to scream like Elliot did when you killed him."

"Yer brother had it comin' Brady." Jayne grunted through the pain. "Ain't my fault he couldn't take it like a man."

Anger flashed in Brady's eyes. "He deserved to be blown in half!"He screeched, touching the device to Jayne and pain shoot through Jayne's body, yet again.

* * *

Maddie sat on her bed staring at her switchblade. It was her very first knife, a gift from Jayne when she was three. He'd put it in her little hand and told her that if any man ever touched her in any wrong fashion, she was to stick him and stick him good. Faintly she smiled, thankful she'd only ever had to stick one guy, well two now, counting Mal. 

Outside her door she heard footsteps, careful footsteps, dancer's footsteps. "River?" she whispered.

"Maddie, they put the animal in a trap and they're cutting off his toes." River whispered urgently.

"You gotta lemme out, River." Maddie whispered back "I gotta find Jayne. I just know he ain't dead."

There was clicking and then the door slid open. River had picked the lock. Maddie snatched her switchblade up, stuffed it hastily in her pocket and strode quickly from the room. She paused and turned. For a brief instant Maddie and River shared a significant glance.

"You comin'?" Maddie asked.

River nodded, started to follow, paused and then said, "We'd better leave a note. Simon worries."

Maddie shrugged. "Sure make a note." River smiled, scribbled something on a spare piece of paper and tacked it on the door. Then in unison, they slipped out the door up the stairs and away. As they disappeared into the ever encroaching night, Maddie said, "We're gonna have t' find you a gun."

* * *

Mal sat at the empty kitchen table, trying to figure out how it had all gone so wrong. Everyone else had gone to bed for the night, resolved to go looking for what would most likely be Jayne's dead body in the morning, but Mal kept wondering what if Jayne wasn't dead. Mal had never particularly cared for Jayne and certainly had never trusted Jayne, but the man had been good at his job and nominally loyal. Jayne had been a part of his crew. Sure he'd tried to sell out Simon and River, but he'd been on the straight and narrow since then. And, he had that sister of his to take care of now. Jayne had confided in Mal that he wasn't certain the girl could take care of herself. After her little episode in the cargo bay, Mal pretty much figured Jayne was wrong on that score, but… Gorrammit why didn't this feel like enough? 

Mal sensed people and looked up to find Simon standing nervously before him. "What is it?"

"I was looking for River and well I found Maddie's door open and neither of them were any where in sight, Mal. Just that not tack on the door.

Mal looked down at the note. It read: "Simon, Maddie and I have gone to fetch him. Be back soonest. Hugs and fish, River" he looked up a Simon. "What is this supposed to mean?"

"I uh… think they've gone looking for Jayne."

"They've gone after Jayne!" Mal exclaimed. "Your sister don't even like Jayne, doc." In a frustrated rage, Mal slammed the note upside down on the table and stared at it for an instant. Then he began strapping on his gun belt, he had an idea where to find them now. "Go get Zoë. We're going after them."

* * *

Maddie bent over the tracks squinting in the faint moonlight. This was where they'd gotten Jayne. She knew she'd been right. It was very evident to her, some one, most likely the one in charge, had had the drop on Jayne, come up on him when Jayne wasn't expecting. Then a couple other men had stripped Jayne of his menagerie of weapons, dumped them in a pile and the stuffed Jayne in some sort of box. The tracks then lead out of the valley to the west. 

Maddie glanced at River and then at the pile of Jayne's arsenal. It was a veritable weapons cash, everything they could possibly need. Maddie picked out Jayne's big Bowie and slung the Sharps across her back. She didn't intend to use the Sharps, but it never hurt to have a gun that could blow a man in half.

She gestured for River to arm up. Maddie watched placidly as River took all that was left, sniper rifle, two grenades and three pistols, one of which she stuck in her waist band and the other two in her boots.

Once they were both outfitted, Maddie gestured for River to follow her and the started down the trail by Jayne's abductors.

* * *

Jayne limped along the dark halls, hoping to all that was fluffy this was the way out. He'd gotten away when Brady had stepped out to yell incomprehensively at his guards, who Jayne gleaned weren't really his guards at all. 

A light flickered somewhere in front of him. Unsure of whether to go towards it or not, Jayne sniffed the air. Nothing smelled fresh, no breeze that might be coming for outside, no clue as to which way he should go. He heard someone coming and ducked into a doorway. As the man passed, Jayne leapt out and clobbered him, taking him down with minimum effort.

He took the unconscious man's weapon and studied it a moment. "Piece of crap." He muttered. But what other choice did he have? Time to find himself an out. Lacking a better plan, Jayne started towards the light.

* * *

More fun Chinese Translations

Cao ni ma-fuck your mom

* * *

Well tell me what you think. I need the feed back. I get lonely without the reviews folks. 


	8. In Which Things get all Actiony

They were there. They'd found it, an ugly little prefab building with two guards stationed outside. Maddie looked at River and then back at the tiny valley where the trail had led them. How where they going to do this? There was no cover as far as Maddie could tell into the valley. They try and get down there and they'd be sitting ducks. It would have been easy if there had been cover. Maybe it they…

CRACK! CRACK! The two guards dropped. Maddie looked at River in slight shock. She'd just sniped them. What the hell? The girl hadn't even used the scope!

River flashed a smile and Maddie shrugged, putting River's sudden acquisition of sharp shooting abilities out of her mind. A feral smile spread across her face. It was time to go get Jayne.

Down the hillside and into the building they went, Maddie first, clutching Jayne's bowie knife loosely in her right hand. River followed behind, wandering along like they were on some kind of field trip. The inside of the prefab build slopped down sharply into an underground chamber and then opened into a shadowy hall. The hall split in three directions.

_Which way do we go?_ Maddie wondered.

"That way." River whispered, pointing to the left hand hall. Maddie nodded slowly and trotted down it quietly.

* * *

Jayne reached the light slowly and glanced around. It was the entrance to a slightly larger hall. That had to be a sign he was going the right way. He looked up and down the larger hall trying to decide which way led out. 

He heard footsteps approaching from behind and spun, newly acquired gun at the ready.

"No escaping, Cobb. Not this time." Brady said, stepping forward. Stupid bastard, Jayne thought, opening fire on him.

Brady fell back cursing, "Wo xi wang ni man man si, dan kuai dian xia di yu!"

"You first." Jayne growled, moving forward. Why wasn't Brady bleeding?

Brady pushed up off the ground. "Full body armor." Brady said, tapping his chest.

"Well, then, I guess, I'm gotta take a might more direct approach an' mess up that priddy face a yer's some more." Jayne's said lifting the gun and pointing it at Brady's head. He pulled the trigger and it clicked. Shit, the gun jammed.

Those rented guards of Brady's come out from the shadows and fired their tasers, effectively paralyzing Jayne. Then just for kicks and because Brady told them to, they roughed Jayne up a bit and dragged his half conscious form back down the hall where he'd come from.

* * *

Once again tied to that damn chair in that little white room, Jayne realized that he had somehow managed to make Brady angrier. Not that it made Brady anymore interesting. He was rambling on about Jayne killing his brother, Eliot, again and pacing. Why couldn't the jackass just shoot him now? It wasn't like Brady was actually going to succeed in making Jayne feel sorry for shooting Elliot. Boy had deserved it. Gorram egg sucker had hired Jayne to take him hunting and then decided that shooting endangered animals wasn't stimulating enough. Said he wanted to hunt Jayne instead. Bastard had it coming. Hwoon daun had said he was gonna kill Jayne and then sell little Maddie to slavers. Thought it was funny. So Jayne shot him. Only one thing regretted about the whole thing was that he didn't get paid. 

Brady was pulling Jayne's boots off. "What the hell're you doin'?" Jayne demanded.

Brady yanked a boot off roughly, "You aren't listening to me, so I thought I'd make sure you can run away again." Brady flashed an ominous looking jagged-edged knife and Jayne thought, Shit.

* * *

With River's guidance and a little creative knife work on Maddie's part, they managed to dodge occasional patrols that moved about the extensive underground complex. However the farther they went, the more Maddie wondered how they were going to get out again. Even with the seven and a half men Maddie'd killed or otherwise incapacitated, there were at least sixteen others they'd just avoided. Who knew how many others there were in this place. 

As they passed one of many side halls, Maddie heard curses. Jayne-like curses. "I have feet." River whispered.

"That you do." Maddie whispered back distractedly. She peered down the dark hall. The light about her flickered.

River continued. "He doesn't. They took his feet and now he can't stand."

Maddie stared at River. She looked nervous, or worried about something. "Listen River, find some place to hide. I'm going after Jayne."

River nodded and slipped seamlessly into the shadows. "I wait." Came the hushed whisper.

"Right." Maddie gripped her knife tightly. If River was worried…

With nearly imperceptible footfalls, Maddie moved down the hall, from which she had heard Jayne's cursing. God, she prayed, Please let him be alive. Please forgive me for killing those men back there. I wish I hadn't had to. Please, don't let me get caught. And, Lord, I really hope you like me more than that goat-rutting jackass who has Jayne.

A door opened into the dark hall and from it a bright light glowed. Maddie flattened against the wall and watched as two guards passed completely oblivious to her presence. With them gone she stepped into the open hall again.

They'd left the door open and she could here somebody talking, rambling on. "Enjoying your last hours, Cobb?"

"Will you jus' shut up an' kill me a'ready, Brady?" Maddie's heart leapt. Yay! Jayne was alive.

Slowly her eyes adjusted to the light. She could see Jayne, now. Her heart sank just as quickly as it had leapt. Jayne's face was battered and smeared with dried blood. He was tied flaccidly to a too small wooden chair and his boots were gone, his socks, so lovingly knitted by Ma Cobb, were soaked in blood.

Still there was hope. His eyes were open and bright. He looked pissed; a good sign if ever there was any, in Maddie's opinion.

The Brady person was talking again, "No, Cobb, you still have to be blown in half and be left for dead in the desert. I want your death to be slow and painful, like my baby brother's."

"You keep sayin' that, Zhu tou. It's really gittin' old. Yer brother was more interestin' than this. At least when he rambled on threatin'ly he was creative." Jayne spat.

"You kill my baby brother, cut my face up, leave me to DIE in the desert and now YOU'RE complaining about ME being boring?" Brady bellowed incredulously.

Maddie got bored herself, listening to the man rant. She slung the half forgotten Sharps in front of her. Then she thought about it. The Sharps was a loud gun, dang thing bellowed like an old mule. Hell, it was probably the same gun that Jayne had killed Brady's brother with and while killing him with it held a certain amusing irony to it, Maddie knew it would bring down more trouble than she was interested in. Not the weapon for this.

Without thinking, she reached for her switch, still stuck in her belt band. She loved that knife more than words could tell. It was a Single Action OTF, perfection, pure and simple.

Carefully, she stepped forward, out of the shadows, behind and a little to the side of Brady. Jayne saw her and immediately, "Maddie, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I come fer you, big bubba."

Brady spun, confused.

"Are you moon-brained?" Jayne demanded.

"That's what folks been sayin' the past eighteen years." Maddie paused, fiddling with the unopened switch. "Course, these days it's startin' t' look more like suicidal."

"Who the hell are you?" Brady demanded, finally gaining use of his tongue.

Maddie flashed a smile that really resembled bared teeth more than any hitherto known expression of joy. "I'm the girl who's gonna… aw hell." She flicked the switch open, "I'm the girl who's gonna do this!" she lunged, taking Brady off guard. Her blade sliced through his body armor and plunged deep into his chest. She jerked it out with cold precision and pushed him to the ground.

Jayne blinked at what his sister had just done. Poor girl was shaking. She looked up at him, tears glazing her eyes. The switch clattered to the floor as she ran to him. "Oh, Jayne."

* * *

Fun Chinese Translations

Wo xi wang ni man man si, dan kuai dian xia di yu-I wish you a slow death, but a quick ride to hell!

Zhu tou-pig head

* * *

'Allo. welp we's getting closer to where ever it is we're goin'. Special message to the Reviewer Culf. One is sad to inform you this will not be a Rayne. There are three reasons for this. A)I would have had to start hinting at it earlier than this, B) This all stems from a dream in which Jayne was River's brother not Simon and Most Importantly C) My beloved little sister has an irration dislike for Raynes. She thinks they're dumb or some such. Personally I've read a fair few goods ones and found them enjoyable, but Beloved knows where I sleep and is fully capable of beating me up. I cower in fear before her.

By the by, Don't forget to review or I'll sick my violent athletic sister on you... and cry...alot... Please?


	9. In Which Corners Get Worked in to

Dawn was breaking in the brown town. Mal, Zoë, and a rather nervous Simon walked down the dirt road. "Are you sure this man will know where to find River?" Simon asked looking dubiously up at the small wooden storefront. It read "Kucera's Service Co."

Mal gazed up at the sign also. "If anybody knows anything about big crime on Pharr, it's Kucera."

Zoë agreed, "He trains and rents all the security type forces on this world. We've had dealings with him before."

A look of vengeance crossed Mal's face. "I think we need to have a little talk with Kucera. What do you think?"

* * *

River stood in the shadows, swaying slightly to an internal rhythm. She could sense the minds of Maddie, Jayne and Brady down the hall. Brady's mind was confused and twisted, filled by years of hatred and revenge plotting. Jayne's mind was not so much confused by Maddie's appearance, more angry. Maddie was mad, determined and scared. River liked Maddie's mind. It was a simple place usually. She was most interested in basic things like being safe and fed, a lot like Jayne in that respect. But whereas Jayne's mind sometimes wandered to things of an indecent sort, Maddie's wondered to places of art. Music or a well drawn picture, how colors looked together. River liked that.

It was a safe place, Maddie's mind .Her memories held interesting stories and memories. She hero-worshipped Jayne and at the same time she was painfully aware of his shortcomings. He was the one who could make everything better for her. Jayne was Maddie's Simon.

River felt Brady's mind as it died, surprised and angry. She felt Jayne's as he watched, proud, but perturbed that Maddie had gone and put herself in danger for him. Maddie's mind was afraid, angry, guilt stricken, and relieved. All was right as far as River was concerned, but wait. A dozen minds were coming down the main hall. They'd seen the disturbance on a security feed. They were coming for Maddie and Jayne.

River started down the hall. They must be warned.

* * *

Jayne endured about two minutes of Maddie relieved/hysterical sobs. In a slightly stifled voice, he said, "Flower-eater, You gonna untie me or be all hysterical? I'm startin' t' lose some feelin' here."

"Oh right." Maddie backed away and wiped her blotched face. _Ok, girl,_ she told herself, _pull it together. We still ain't outta this_. Knife, she needed her switch. She grabbed it off the floor where she'd dropped it and proceeded to cut Jayne loose.

"So where's Mal an' the others?" Jayne asked rubbing his wrists.

Maddie looked down at her feet. "Um… they didn' come." She looked up at him defiance flashing in her eyes. "They wasn' doin' nothin'. Bunch a sha guas"

Jayne's eyes narrowed. "You come here alone?"

"No! River…" her eyes lost defiance and went for embarrassed. "River is down the hall. Hey! Don' look a' me like that." The defiance came back. "She's only one who helped. Captain locked me in my room."

Jayne was about to question that when River stuck her head in the door. "Looking is coming, they saw."

Maddie and Jayne blinked at her, identical expressions of confusion on their faces. "You know what the hell Moonbrain's talkin' 'bout?"

"Don' know. We gotta figure a way t' git you outta here." Maddie said quickly, partially relieved that they were off the subject of her break out.

Jayne started to stand, cursed and sat back down. Brady'd done his job on cutting up his feet. "Gorram, Brady."

"Maybe…" Maddie trailed off, at a loss for what to do now. She hadn't planned this far ahead.

"Gimme my boots." Jayne grunted.

"What?"

"My boots, girl." Jayne commanded. Maddie scrambled across the room, grabbed up the boots and tossed them to him. Gritting his teeth Jayne pulled on his boots.

River, who had been hanging on the doorframe, swung out then in. "They're here." She said falling into the room gracefully.

* * *

"Yo, bro, how long it been?" A young man, probably in his mid-twenties said jovially from behind his desk as Mal and the others entered.

"Four years." Mal said shaking his hand and feigning similar joviality. "Lil' Jimmy, where's your pa?"

Lil' Jimmy laughed, "Old man kicked last year, left me to the runnin' of our family establishment."

Mal's face went cold and his gun flew up. "Good. Now tell us how to tell who snatched my merc."

The blood drained from Lil' Jimmy's face. "I don' know nothin' about no snatchings."

"Fine, we're lookin' for a man who rented at least forty men from you yesterday. Might be named Brady." Mal said anger flashing.

Lil' Jimmy hands shook as he held them up. "I, uh… don't re…remember the, the…" he swallowed hard. "The filing cabinet. Ch-check the filling cabinet."

Mal jerked his head to Zoë and she walked around behind Lil' Jimmy's desk. She pulled open a draw and began rifling through it. Mal looked at Simon. "Doc, why don' you tie up young Mr. Kucera?"

Simon looked around, "Um… yes." He found some rope conveniently hanging off a hook in the wall and with slight apprehension tied up the protesting Lil' Jimmy.

"Found it, Captain." Zoe shouted holding up a folder. "M. Brady, one team, two guards and a room."

Mal looked at Lil' Jimmy, who blanched further. "Right, I remember now, revenge tripper... Uh… we had a disturbance in his room half an hour ago. Sent some men to deal with it."

Mal swaggered up to him. "Did you now? How's about you call'm off and we go down there and get my people."

Jimmy swallowed, "No can do, bro. The boys don't come back from a job less they complete. It's how they get their pay."

Mal jerked the bound Jimmy out of his chair. "Well, then you're gonna have t' take us to'm."

Maddie stuck her head out the door and nearly got it shot off. "Jayne" she said in a wavering voice. "We got trouble."

* * *

Jayne, still sitting, looked up at River, "Gimme them guns, girl." River tossed one to him and he cocked it, a relieved expression on his face. "How many of 'me are there Maddie?"

"I don' know. Lot's. I can't git my head out there long enough t' git a good look." She took a deep breath. "Whata we do?"

"We cou' try blockadein' the door fer starters." Jayne said.

"With what? Ain't nothin' in here 'sept us, bubba!" Maddie said, in a half frustrated tone.

Jayne grunted, "Well, I ain't usually the comes up with plans on how t' get out scrapes. That's the captain's job."

Maddie frowned and muttered not quite under her breathe, "Ruttin' Captain."

* * *

Fun Chinese Translations

Sha gua-Retard (lit. stupid melon)

* * *

Well everybody. We're coming up on the end of this. Next parts gonna get a little angsty so you've been warned about that. Um... Lovely. Well, everybody here's yelling at me so ya'll don't either. Reveiw me. Now.


	10. In Which Jayne goes Berserk

"Ok" Jayne said adjusting the weaponry he had retrieved from River. "How 'bout my grenades? Didja bring them, too?" 

"Course." Maddie said grimly. "River's got'm."

Jayne held out his hand to River who effected an expression rather like that of a child caught playing with a toy that it was not allowed and handed over the three grenades.

Grimacing Jayne rose and strode to the doorway, grenade in hand. For a moment he paused, looking back at Maddie who stood stiffly clutching the old Sharps in front of her as though she half expected it to go off in her face.

"You sure you kin handle that thing?" he asked. "It's gotta real kick to it."

Maddie glanced down at the Sharps briefly and said honestly, "No, but what choice do I got?"

"Right." Jayne looked momentarily at River as she stood beside Maddie with the sniper rifle resting comfortably on her shoulder. A scary sight had they not been trying to break out of a secure facility. For now Jayne clung to the militant optimism instilled in him by Ma Cobb. They were going to get out of here. Turning he pulled the safety pin from the grenade, stared at it a moment then chunked it down the hallway.

The floor and ceiling rocked with the explosion. Maddie flinched at the sound of it. Whipping out two pistols Jayne rushed out into the hall followed closely by Maddie and River. Immediately Jayne and River began firing, but Maddie hesitated. Four or five men were already dead from the grenade blast and the rest were falling back to the main hallway. Maddie froze. What if her aim went haywire like it always did? What if she hit Jayne or River?

Jayne glanced back and saw Maddie freeze, tears flowing down her face. He grabbed her arm and jerked her forward. "Gorrammit, girl, hurry up, the roof's gonna cave."

Maddie nodded dumbly and started moving again. Jayne was doing the most shooting and while River took down men less frequently, she did so with absolute precision.

_Oh God, oh God, Oh God_, Maddie's mind said over and over.

They were almost to the light. Behind them chunks began falling out of the ceiling where the grenade had exploded.

A man by the corner took aim at Jayne and Maddie realized Jayne did not see him. Shaking she raised the Sharps and pulled the trigger. The rifle's powerful kick threw her to the ground. She lay there stunned by the force of it. She had to get up. She had to keep moving. Her hand moved to her throbbing shoulder as she started to sit up. Started, but did not succeed as she was struck by something. She fell back and lay unmoving.

Somewhere in her increasingly fuzzy mind, she heard Jayne shout her name, but dismissed it as implausible. Jayne was working far, far away, on Santo helping folks get what was theirs. He'd sent her a new dress…

* * *

Mal, Zoë, Simon and Lil' Jimmy could hear the shooting. For the last ten minutes, they'd heard the shooting, which was punctuated by bellows of rage. As they rounded the corner, Mal and Zoë drew their guns not knowing what to expect. 

The hall was strewn with dead or dying men. The last eight or nine of what had been a twenty-five man team were barricaded in a battered guard station about twenty feet from the main carnage as Jayne stood stock still in the center of the hall facing the guard station. A blood stained bowie knife clenched in on and a massive rifle in the other.

"Jayne?" Mal shouted as he approached.

The berserked man spun, leveling the rifle at Mal, who slowly holstered his gun.

"Jayne," Mal said again still moving slowly. "You're gonna wanna put down that gun, now."

The rage filled glazed drained from Jayne's eyes. "Cap'n?" he dropped the gun and knife and turned to an adjoining hallway. "Maddie."

Zoë also holstered her weapon and the trio rushed to the side hall leaving the bound Lil' Jimmy surrounded by his dead employees.

Jayne knelt beside his sister as she lay bleeding on the floor. A little ways away River sat arms rapped around her knees, whispering incoherently. Instinctively Simon started for his sister.

Jayne stood, grabbed Simon by the shirt, lifted him off the floor and said, "Fix her." That was it no 'or,' no threat of any kind. Jayne didn't need one; the pained look of wrath on his face said it all.

Simon began looking at Maddie's wound, amazingly calm for a man who knew Jayne would kill him slowly and painfully if the girl died. She'd lost a lot of blood. Simon needed to get her back to the ship to perform surgery, but first he needed to staunch the bleeding as much as possible.

As Simon worked, Jayne knelt again at Maddie's side. He took her and looked at her nail bitten fingers. Maddie's eyes flickered open and she whispered in a small, child's voice, "Bubba, I got an owie."

"I know, flower-eater, but Doc's gonna fix you up right." Jayne whispered back in an almost ragged voice.

"Bubba?" she whispered plaintively, "Please, don' go away, again. Don' make me go away. I'll be good."

"I ain't goin' no where's, Flower-eater."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Maddie smiled vaguely and closed her eyes. Her hand slipped form Jayne's and his face went stone cold.

* * *

Jayne sat in the infirmary watching Maddie sleep. Simon had finished operating on her two hours before, but she was still sedated. Jayne clenched and unclenched his throbbing feet. He wanted to get up, to pace, but Simon had ordered him not to. That didn't really matter to Jayne, but his feet were really too swollen to walk on, anyway. The doctor had gone into conniptions when he found out Jayne was walking around with his feet tore up like they were. They'd had to cut his boots off to get his feet out of them. The look on Simon's face would have been worth the loss of a good pair of boots any other time, but this wasn't any other time. 

Maddie, his lil' flower-eater, was lying on the operating table, still unconscious. He remembered how he'd felt that time Lil' Kaylee got shot. This was worse. Maddie was his kin, his only kin as far as he knew. He'd never realized how fragile she was. When she was little, back before he'd left home, she always seemed to be nursing one hurt or another. She was always cutting her feet open on oyster shells, bumping her head, getting fishing hooks caught in her knees, tripping and coming up with odd scratched and scrapes, but never anything like this. Certainly nothing that Jayne ever felt responsible for.

Only time Jayne had ever worried was when she cried. He could never stand to see her cry. Whenever she thought she was in trouble or she was scared about something, she'd cry and Jayne would have to come up with something to make her cry, to take her mind off whatever made her sad. He'd pick her up on his shoulder and spin her around or do funny voices for his fingers.

Jayne swallowed hard as he looked at her now, all pale under her tan, her face an empty sheet. No Santo Tornado or Mr. Pinky was going to make it all better now. He wanted to hit something, someone. Someone had to be punished for this. Maddie being hurt could not go unpunished. The last time he'd been around when someone had hurt her, he'd beat that kid with the soccer ball silly.

But, there was no one left to punish, no one but himself. Brady was dead; those guards were dead. Jayne had promised Maddie wasn't going anywhere and damned if that promise was mocking him now.

Some one cleared his throat and Jayne looked up to see Mal holding a cream colored sheet of paper and a blanket. "Come t' see how your lil' homicidal maniac's doin'."

"Doc said she wouldn't be comin' 'round fer 'nother twen'y minutes yet." Jayne said tiredly, not really noticing Mal's comment.

"I s'pose, it's a good thing I came down here now then." Mal said with a touch of humor in his voice.

There was an awkward pause during which they both stared at Maddie.

Mal broke it. "Doc wanted me t' give you this." He said passing the blanket.

"Why ain't he the one givin' it then?" Jayne asked unfolding the blanket and laying it across Maddie as best he could from his place on the infirmary's auxiliary bed.

"He's havin' difficulties with his sister." Mal said. "Not unlike you."

Jayne grunted and looked at his sister. "Maddie ain't nuts." He said defensively.

"You are aware she tried to kill me?" Mal commented.

"She a'ways did tend t' overreact 'bout the little things." Jayne said in a distracted tone.

Mal rubbed his shoulder. "You're not kiddin' there." Again there was silence. It made Mal uncomfortable. It wasn't natural for Jayne to be this pensive. He remembered the real reason he'd come down. "I… uh found this in your sister's room." He said glancing down at the paper in his hands. "Thought you might wanta have a look at it."

"What were you doin' in Maddie's room?" Jayne asked taking the paper from him.

"Lookin' t' make sure she wasn't hidin' any more knives." Mal said.

Jayne made a sound and looked down at the paper. It was a drawing; the one Maddie'd been working on since she'd come on Serenity. Not just any drawing either. It was a portrait sketch of the whole crew. A damn fine one at that, even if it wasn't finished. Every one was natural, as though they were all just sitting around the galley. Jayne cleaning his guns, Zoe and Wash looking at each other soulfully, Mal and Inara arguing about something, the Shepherd praying, Kaylee and River playing some game while Simon looked on, and in the corner a vague shape that Jayne suspected to be Maddie herself.

"Girl's a good artist." Mal commented. "Even if she's not exactly flattering."

Jayne looked up at Mal, that militant optimism returning. "She ain't finished yer head yet, Captain."

Mal was watching Maddie begin to stir awake and as he exited he said, "I imagine she'll be finishing it soon enough."

* * *

No fun Chinese translations this time. This was a little emtional for me to write. I cried while I was laying it all out in my head. All the big brotherly things Jayne did for Maddie when she was little were things my big brother did for me and my beloved little sister when we were little. My big bubba lives far far away in California and I don't get to see him a whole lot. Mind you him and Jayne have nothing in common. Nathan's a youth minister, is married and has two little boys (the cutest nephews in the whole 'verse they are), but protective sibling-ness is universal I figures.

Oh! And Militant optimism. That's a thing my mom has and I noticed it in Jayne too. No matter how bleak anything looks or is she's gonna get out of it by sheer force of will. Power of postive thinking with violence. Well, my mom doesn't do the violence, but she doesn't need it. She just scares people with her kindergaden teacherdemeanor. shudders Well I believe I've shared to much. I need to get a life.

Reveiw me, you're all I got. Tell me you love me, I live by your support.


End file.
